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Abstract
This study explores subjective attitudes, beliefs, and lived experiences of racial identity among Multiracial young adults. As the Multiracial population in the United States continues to grow, so too does the need for nuanced understandings of how these individuals make meaning of their identities in complex and often racialized contexts. Guided by Critical Multiracial Theory (MultiCrit; Harris, 2016) and ecological frameworks of Multiracial identity (Root, 2002; Wijesinghe, 2012), this research aimed to center the voices of Multiracial individuals through a mixed methods approach rooted in Q methodology. Eighteen Multiracial young adult participants (P=18) engaged in a Q sort using a set of 34 statements (Q-set=34) derived from the literature and preliminary stakeholder input. Participants then completed post-sort qualitative questionnaires to elaborate on the meanings behind their rankings, and four of the participants also completed an optional post-sort interview. A by-person factor analysis was conducted to identify shared viewpoints across participants; further interpretation resulted in three distinct factors: Factor 1- The Mirror Within, Factor 2- Reflections Among Us, and Factor 3- The Collective Mirror. These factors offer a complex, layered portrait of how Multiracial young adults experience racial identity. The findings underscore the importance of moving beyond monoracial paradigms in counseling, research, and education to better serve and affirm Multiracial populations. The study offers implications for researchers, counselor educators, practitioners, and supervisors, as well as future research directions to deepen understanding of the complexity and richness of Multiracial identity across diverse ecological and sociocultural contexts.